Chapter 1 The Space Station

This space station was not large. Its exterior was a mix of dark gold and gray iron, the overall design adhering to the Gotera's consistent light and curved style, like a coil of mosquito incense with stretched intervals… Of course, it also had a sense of indescribable things; in short, it was curved.

Unlike most technological civilizations that emphasized precision and simplicity, the internal structure of the space station was relatively complex. If you didn't check the map on the instruments in the corridor, you might even get lost. Han Xiao and his party were outsiders, and the confidential areas of the space station were not open to them. They could only move around the docks, rest halls, and guest room areas.

The person who came to greet them was the stationmaster. Even though it was not easy for Mechanic Han to distinguish the appearance of the Gotera people, he could tell that the stationmaster was a serious person. His hair was tied in a Gotera-style braid, and he wore a compressed ball of investigator standard equipment. His movements and dress were meticulous, with the demeanor of a soldier.

The Gotera investigators were a complex group. Some were selected from the military, some were recruited from society and local security forces, and then trained, and some came from schools. This stationmaster was clearly a former officer, and he handled everything according to regulations.

The spaceship was sent to the shipyard for repairs and refueling. The group rested in the hall. Han Xiao did not reveal the goal of this trip to his companions, so they thought it was just a normal stopover. Melos pulled the Volga brothers aside to play a popular interstellar casual card game. The gameplay was a battle-type rule. These cards were well-known figures and civilizations from across the galaxy. Different star fields had their own decks. For example, the Shattered Star Ring deck included four Super-A grade bosses, including Ames.

Two or more people could play, with each player playing as a star field. They would choose a certain number of cards from the deck of that star field as their card set, and then start the battle. These cards were also divided into different functions: civilization cards, strongman cards, exploration cards, power cards, ability cards, history cards, mercenary cards, wealth cards, treasure cards, spaceship cards, monster cards, and so on. It was a fad in the interstellar world, and its status in the hearts of interstellar citizens was similar to playing cards. They would play a game or two when they had nothing to do. In addition to the standard gameplay of playing as a star field, there were many variant gameplays.

In his previous life, many casual players liked to play this kind of card, and they could also learn about the power structure of different star fields from these cards. This card set was produced by an interstellar chain business group, and they would update the cards from time to time, adding some newly famous characters as cards, or moving some dead characters into the "discard pile", which could almost be regarded as a list of celebrities in each region.

Recently, Melos and others had become obsessed with this kind of card, because in the last update, the Shattered Star Ring deck added several cards, and the Black Star Mercenary Group was unexpectedly added as a new mercenary card.

Mercenary cards were neutral units that consumed wealth cards to recruit on the spot, directly standing on the field from the deck, which could be a quick attack or a flip. In the Shattered Star Ring deck, most of the mercenary cards were large mercenary groups with tens of thousands of people, such as Sky Ring and Blade Edge, while the Black Star Mercenary Group was a special new card. Given the small size and weak strength of the Black Star Mercenary Group, the manufacturer set the card's attributes to be the lowest among the mercenary cards, but it had a special effect.

The "Black Star Mercenary Group" card had the identity of the Longtan Foreign Affairs Force and could form a connection with the power card "Longtan Island". As long as the judgment was successful, Ames, the [Dragon Seat], could be immediately drawn from the deck.

Han Xiao could guess with his eyes closed that the inspiration for this card came from the sensational news last year—he summoned Ames and blew up the DarkStar mothership with one blow.

In his previous life, because of his bad luck, Mechanic Han rarely played cards, but he knew how popular this kind of card was. He didn't expect that he would become a member of the deck now, which made him very happy—this was a great thing, and after the players entered the interstellar world, it would be a new way to increase his reputation.

Being made into a new card, big or small, he was considered a celebrity. Melos and others were having a great time, of course, they had to add some color to their card games.

Next to these gamblers, Sylvia was holding a book and memorizing it by rote, completely immersed in the abyss of learning. Not far away, Aroshia closed her eyes to rest. Since entering Grade B, different scenes often flashed in her mind, and she would often be in a daze, while Fording sat in the corner, silently exercising his psychic power.

The stationmaster spoke sternly, gave some instructions, and then left the hall. Another chubby Gotera man with a kind smile stayed here to receive everyone and introduced himself as the deputy stationmaster.

Unlike the stationmaster, the deputy stationmaster was very talkative and always maintained a smile. The clue to the mission was on him. Han Xiao asked a few probing questions, and the deputy stationmaster revealed the clue in a casual tone.

"One of our science ships lost contact on a nearby planet, and the search force sent out has not returned. We used our space telescope to see traces of the spaceship crashing and exploding. The stationmaster reported the situation to the higher-ups, and the Investigation Bureau put this mission on the agenda, assuming that no one survived… But it is also possible that those missing teams are still alive. When the headquarters sends someone over, it may be too late for rescue. Alas, Nirejia's wife is in the science team. He has been very anxious recently…"

Han Xiao's eyes lit up and asked, "Where can I find this Nirejia?"

The deputy stationmaster shook his head, "This matter has been handed over to the headquarters, and according to the regulations, it is not allowed to privately ask for help from mercenaries."

"I just want to talk to him."

"Alright, he should be in the porthole corridor now."

Standing up, Han Xiao bid farewell and left for the location mentioned by the deputy stationmaster. That Nirejia was the mission trigger.

The deputy stationmaster looked at Han Xiao's back, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes.

Arriving at the porthole corridor, he saw a Gotera investigator staring blankly at the starry sky outside the window, his face melancholy. Han Xiao quickly walked up and asked, "Are you Nirejia?"

"Are you a mercenary who docked here?" Nirejia turned his head, somewhat wary.

"Yes, I heard that two science ships lost contact on a planet. My intuition tells me that there seems to be a job that needs manpower."

"This is our Gotera's internal affair, and we don't need the help of outsiders." Nirejia frowned, his face clearly unhappy when talking about this matter. This emotion was obviously not directed at Han Xiao, whom he was meeting for the first time.

"I heard that your wife is also in the missing team. You must be very anxious. Maybe she is still alive. Time is life, and for a small reward, I can find the target for you," Han Xiao said.

A look of hesitation flashed across Nirejia's face, and he fell silent. Han Xiao thought he would agree, but he shook his head and said, "This is none of your business."

After speaking, he continued to stare blankly out the window.

Han Xiao was stunned. According to the process in his memory, as long as he said this clue, he could trigger Nirejia's mission.

Did he miss something?

Trying to persuade Nirejia again, but the other party was unwilling to ask for help from a mercenary. Han Xiao was at a loss. He racked his brains, and suddenly a flash of inspiration came to him.

'Could it be because of this…'

Returning to the hall, he dragged Fording over. On the way, he explained the situation to the bewildered Fording. Seeing Nirejia, Fording straightened his collar and greeted him with a warm smile. After only a few words, Nirejia's eyes were full of tears, and he turned to look at Han Xiao.

"He's right, I can't let myself regret it because of hesitation. Mercenary, I want to entrust you to find my wife. This is a violation of the system, please don't tell anyone else."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao's panel immediately moved.

[You triggered the mission [Star Trek Beast]!]

[Mission Introduction: You accepted Nirejia's commission and are preparing to go to a barren planet to find the missing investigation team]

[Mission Requirements: Go to the target planet to investigate the cause of the spaceship's loss of contact and find the missing investigation team]

[Note: Your investigation results will affect the final evaluation of the mission]

[Basic Rewards: 1358 Enas (gray font), 850,000 experience, Kronon Secret Diamond Ring (purple equipment)]

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, his mood so-so.

"As expected, it's because my charm didn't reach the standard to trigger the mission…"